


The Land of Nod

by eringiles



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: 221B Ficlet, Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-02
Updated: 2012-06-02
Packaged: 2017-11-06 16:28:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/420944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eringiles/pseuds/eringiles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John Watson doesn’t always dream of acrid desert landscapes. 221b</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Land of Nod

John Watson doesn’t always dream of acrid desert landscapes. Not everything that goes bump in the night is the sharp retort of distance gunfire and IEDs. Sometimes he dreams he’s falling, jerking himself awake, hands fisted in the bedcovers as he holds on for dear life. He can taste kung-pao chicken on the tip of his tongue and there’s adrenaline sweating out of him, making him feel slightly nauseous from the absence of logic.

John Watson sometimes dreams of the view of mountains through the gaps in the curtains of a child’s bedroom. Snow capped peaks visible between the swaying branches of a cherry tree, spring pink with blossom. He can hear a lullaby behind him, crooned softly as if to a child already halfway to the land of nod. He feels the tug of a smile as he closes his eyes against the summer sun; thumb unconsciously playing with his wedding band.

_Ally, bally, ally bally bee. Sittin’ on yer mammy’s knee. Waiting for a wee bawbee tae buy some Coulter’s candy._

He catches himself the next morning, humming the tune over two mugs of brewing tea while Sherlock huffs around behind him. After he’s picked the teabags out the mugs he finds himself absently thumbing the place where his wedding ring used to be. 

John sometimes misses the bombs.


End file.
